Bang Bang’s has a hidden Tokyo back-alley vibe. Inside it’s all noise, kitsch and colour; there are pedestrian crossings and bike lanes painted on the floor, and murals of tattooed yakuza gangsters above the bar. Vintage neon-lit street signs shine above the tables.

This is a yokocho, the word for “alleyway” and for the small pubs and bars in the backstreets of big Japanese cities that offer cheap snacks, drinks and good times.

Bang Bang looks like many eateries in one. There’s a timber-cart counter with high stools. And glass karaoke rooms and quiet tatami -style rooms.

In Japan, most small eateries specialise in one type of dish. There are shops for yakitori (chicken skewers), katsu (fried chicken or pork cutlets) or soba noodles. At Bang Bang you can get everything: tempura, omelette, curry, sushi and sashimi.

For a substantial lunch, opt for the omuyakisoba – an omelette filled with yakisoba (fried noodles) and vegetables in a rich, sweet soy sauce. For dinner, the seared-kingfish carpaccio comes with a vinaigrette with heat thanks to Sichuan peppercorns. And from the robata (grill) menu there are teriyaki prawns, scallops on the shell and a sizzling Wagyu rib eye with tangy Japanese barbeque sauce.

Dinner is izakaya -style (small plates), so come with a group for the Bang Bang tebasaki, a tower of peppery-soy chicken wings.

There’s a 10-page drinks menu that covers Japanese beers, tinnies of local craft beer, classic cocktails and shochu (rice spirit) citrus cocktails. Sake, plum wine and Japanese whisky are also available.